A Different Path
by hueloovoo
Summary: Ranma always felt different, and Genma's attempts to mold him into a "Man among men" only made things worse. At least, until the spring we all know of and love changed everything... for the better? What if Ranma were MTF transsexual before the curse?
1. Chapter 1

A Different Path- Chapter 1 A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Hueloovoo, aka Andrea Colene, aka Angie "kitn"

Well, after all the times I started and didn't finish a story, I decided to go ahead and post one on the net. Maybe some C&C will prod me to finish this one, for a change!

Disclaimer- I don't own any of these characters, I didn't create any of them. That honor goes to Takahashi Rumiko-megami. I'm borrowing them without permission from anyone. All rights belong to her and whoever else owns them.

Early thanx to Nicholas Leifker and Ichinohei Hitomi for the continuing inspiration from their story, "Clothes Make The..." and for their comments on my first draft. Keep writing, and I promise I'll try! :-)

As a final note, I wrote this in 1998 under the name Andrea Colene, and have only recently been reinspired to go back to it. That is one example of how blocked I can get. I am trying to learn to continue things though, and hopefully can stick with this one. Thanks for bearing with me!

"..."- speech

'...'- thought

...- foreign language (i.e. Mandarin Chinese, English...)

"I'm ready any time you are, Pop!" The statement fairly dripped false machismo, but Genma just leapt onto one of the tall bamboo poles standing over a myriad bunch of small pools. Ranma was suddenly struck by how much Genma's stance looked like that of a begging puppy dog.

"Come on, boy"

"Right behind you, old man! This don't look so bad!" Ranma jumped onto another pole with a look of boredom. The guide was babbling, but the two martial artists ignored him as nonthreatening. Then both leapt into the air, straight at each other.

An impressive aerial display of martial arts ensued, with punches, kicks and blocks traded faster than the untrained eye could follow. Shortly, Ranma landed a kick to the side of the old man's head, knocking Genma face-first into one of the pools.

"Oh, no, sir! You fall in Shanmaoniichuan! There very tragic story-"

Unfortunately, Ranma missed the rest of the guide's monologue, as an enormous panda flew out of the water, wearing Genma's clothes and spectacles, to take the same ridiculous puppy-pose on a pole.

"Wha... What the hell is that?!"

While Ranma's mind reeled, the panda leapt over and kicked Ranma off his pole and into another pool. It was strange, the water felt warm and inviting, like a loving parent's embrace. A tingling enveloped his body, and Ranma noticed a subtle change in balance, as certain sections of his body became more buoyant.

Somehow, Ranma heard the guide's words, even underwater. "Ah, too bad, sir! You fall in Nanniichuan, Spring of Drowned Girl! Now, whoever fall in spring, take body of young girl. See, now you young girl."

Could it be?! Shock was the first reaction, but luckily, no one could see Ranma's face, as Ranma fought an urge to giggle down to just a broad grin. She looked down, opening her gi top, to see the evidence she could already feel.

"Haha...aaaarrgghhh!!" She barely forced the joyous laughter to sound like an enraged yell, then proceeded to chase the panda from one end of the Baiyankara Mountain Range to the other. After all, she couldn't have her father find out how she really felt... Thankfully, her father was running for his life, because anyone who might have had time to notice could have seen the lightness of each step, and the silly grin plastered on the girl's face.

Ranma stood opposite the inhabitants of the Tendo Dojo, soaking wet and thoroughly embarrassed. The middle daughter- Nabiki? - was feeling the front of Ranma's shirt, squeezing something very dear to her.

"Could you please stop that?"

"Nabiki, stop! He... she's a guest!" Akane defended. Ranma could have kissed the girl as she continued, "Hi! I'm Akane! Wanna be friends? Come on, I hear you know kempo"

"Well, yeah..."

"Then, how about a little match? Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

The two left for the dojo, Akane hoping that her father would handle the panda. Akane took a strong stance across from Ranma, who stood in a relaxed, easy posture.

"Ready, begin!" Akane started with a right hook, but Ranma blocked and poked her in the ribs. Akane jumped, but regained her stance and launched another attack. Ranma dodged with unnatural speed, and swept Akane's legs from under her.

'She's really good! I can't hold back against her!' Akane thought, then launched a punch, mustering all her strength and speed. Her fist broke through the wall, though, Ranma having jumped over her. Akane felt a poke at the back of her head, and turned around.

"Hahahaha... You're pretty good! I'm just glad you're not a boy." Ranma's face was unreadable for a moment, then she smiled.

Akane stayed in the dojo, straightening things up (mainly cleaning up the broken cinder blocks from earlier in the day), while Ranma went inside in search of a hot bath. She loved the relaxing feeling of barely withstandable hot water, in spite of the fact that it meant changing forms.

Ranma's thoughts wandered as the water cooled. His greatest wish had been granted, but there were still problems. It hurt to have to hide the truth, but Ranma was the only son... the only heir to the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts. But, then again, it might not be a matter of choice. Years of false machismo had already started to fade in the week since Jyusenkyo, and Ranma really couldn't bring himself to mind. However, he resolved to hold on to it, hide the truth, for as long as possible.

The water was cooling, so Ranma stood up to get out and remake the introductions, no point in putting off the inevitable. Of course, Akane picked that moment to walk in, thinking of joining her new friend in a hot bath. After all, they were both girls, right? Ranma simply stared. 'Whoa!'

The beautiful dark-haired girl calmly turned around and left, as Ranma looked down at his male body in disgust and loathing. Then came the scream.

Ranma woke to find an abundance of pain and the two eldest Tendo girls looking at her. She made a mental note to watch for Akane using furniture as weapons in the future. Kasumi was the first to speak.

"Oh, she's awake."

When Ranma groaned in reply, she continued. "Are you okay? Please don't think too badly of Akane. She's really a very sweet girl, she's just a bit... hot-tempered."

"Oh, good, Kasumi, like that explains it." Nabiki snorted, as Ranma stood up.

"I'm going to go finish my bath." Ranma felt like she really needed another relaxing soak. She was gone before either of the sisters could speak again.

'Wow, and here I thought I was a tomboy, just because I have a guy's body... She was so friendly at first, before she found out I'm half boy.' Ranma took off her shirt in the change room and turned to the door. Just as Akane opened it from the bath. Ranma stifled an insane urge to giggle.

POW

The next day began with a beautiful sunrise, the birds in the trees heralding a day for new friendships, new beginnings. Watching it, one could only imagine that all of the past was gone, to be replaced by new happiness.  
"School?!" This said with a horrified look, as from a person offered the death sentence.

"Well, son, we are going to be staying with the Tendos for a while."

Then Nabiki walked by. "Good morning, Ranma, you'll be going to the same school as Akane and me."

"Nabiki, wait up! I'll walk with you to class." Akane rushed out, only to be stopped in her tracks next to Ranma-kun on the porch by Nabiki's reply.

"Oh, no. Ranma's your fiancee. You should walk HIM to class."

Ranma wanted to kick her soooo bad.

He and Akane left for school in silence, Akane on the sidewalk, Ranma on fences and walls. After a few minutes, Akane looked up and broke the tension.

"We're not getting married, you know. So don't hang around me in school."

Ranma wouldn't have replied, but sensed the presence of his father, and decided to provoke him. Besides, Ranma was in the mood to needle Akane.

"Don't worry, I can't stand macho chicks like you." '3... 2... 1...' Ranma dodged the old man's attack. Pop was so predictable.

"You're in no position to be picky about women. Boy, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand-" He trailed off into growls as Ranma-kun knocked him off of the fence into a drainage ditch. Ranma hated it when the old man called him "boy."

"You were saying, Pop?" Ready for the coming attack, Ranma timed the dodge just right... Landing in the direct path of a woman watering the sidewalk. 'Perfect'

Akane jumped at the chance. "Nice dodge. Too bad she was faster than you."

Ranma just smiled back, utterly confusing Akane.

"Wow, and the bokken didn't even touch me! He could almost give me a real fight!" There, that sounded suitably macho, although Ranma wondered at the need for it, in her current form. "C'mon, Akane, let's go to class."

"But... you're a girl."

Ranma shrugged and smiled. "Oh well, it seems like every time I change back, I get hit with water again. I might as well stay like this."

Akane rewarded this logic with an odd look and a shrug.

A short while later, Ranma and Akane found themselves standing in the hall discussing how Kuno caused Akane's fame amongst the boys at Furinkan High. As if mere thought had summoned him, the enraged object of discussion appeared, bucket of water in hand. Ranma reacted automatically by jumping over the water splash. Form change or no, walking around school sopping wet was not her idea of a good time.

"Never, Ranma Saotome! I will never allow your engagement to the fair Akane Tendo to proceed."

Every window within earshot instantly opened, giving way to a horde of gossip.

"Akane and the NEW GIRL?!"

"That's WEIRD."

"I dunno, they make a cute couple."

"Shut up, loser, you're dreaming."

However, neither subject of debate had time to refute any of this, as Kuno made a small connection in his mind. "Hold, fair maiden, for thou art not the cur I did best in combat early this morn."

"Hey! You didn't beat me, you jerk!" Ranma's snap kick sent Kuno reeling. Kuno, however was surprisingly quick to recover.

"Oh, though she be but little, she is fierce! Who art thou, my pigtailed Helen? For to hear your name would be as the breaking of light upon the darkest, coldest winter morn, and the sweet symphony of thy voice a rapturous delight of the heavens."

Ranma stood in confusion as the fencer continued without stopping to breathe, and grabbed Ranma in a tight embrace.

"My goddess in pigtails, I shall never release."

The flood of poetic speech cut off abruptly when Akane kicked them both out the open window, to the pool below.

"Oops... Oh well, I guess Ranma probably deserved it too. If not, I'm sure he will sometime soon."

Meanwhile, Ranma tried to avoid Kuno's attempts at "saving" her. They grappled underwater, until by some horrible mischance, Kuno's hand firmly latched onto Ranma's left breast. Kuno had only a moment to contemplate his future, or perhaps his lack thereof.

Ranma gripped Kuno's ears and leaped from the very bottom of the pool, high into the sky. On the downswing, Kuno became intimately acquainted with the tiling around Furinkan High's swimming pool, then settled down for a brief nap, as Ranma left to dry off.

Minutes later, Ranma sat on a tree branch, well out of sight, wringing out her pants. She loudly fumed at the swordsman.

"What a pervert! He didn't have to squeeze me so hard!"

Just then Akane appeared on the ground below. "Ranma, you'd better get back to class, or the instructor will count you as absent."

"I don't care. I'll just explain that that pervert tried to molest me. It's true, anyways." If only she could be sure that little complaint wouldn't reach her father's ears. No doubt Genma would lecture Ranma about letting anyone see her "cursed form."

Akane actually looked slightly worried. "Are you alright? What did Kuno do to you?"

"Aw, don't worry. But if he ever grabs me like that again, he won't live long enough to regret it. If he's lucky." With that, Ranma left school, uncaring what classes she might miss.

Darkness gathered in the sky above Nerima, the overcast sky letting very little glow through to testify to the remaining minutes of sunset. Ranma sat in her room, where she had been pointedly ignoring a lecture from her father for over an hour.

'Maybe if I go talk to her, she'll listen. I really need to talk to someone, and definitely not Pop...' Having come to a decision, Ranma stood up and left her father in the middle of a sentence that she had never heard him begin.

As she neared Akane's door, Ranma could hear muffled voices. Not wanting to impolitely eavesdrop or interrupt, she cleared her throat and knocked softly.

"Akane, can I talk to-"

Akane's angry shout cut her off. "That's easy for you to say, Nabiki! Now all the girls at school think I'm a pervert like HIM."

Each word was salt in an open wound to Ranma. She had been ready to show her most vulnerable thoughts, and before she even had a chance, Akane was hitting the sorest emotional point Ranma had! It was too much! Choking back a sob, Ranma dashed for her room, now vacant, and slammed and locked the door. "She's just like all the rest..." Ranma cried bitterly into her pillow.

Several minutes later, Ranma was regaining some control over the tempest of the soul, and heard a gentle knock on her doorframe. "Ranma, may I speak with you?" Kasumi's voice was soothing.

Ranma almost denied her entry, then reconsidered. Kasumi was one of those gentle people who could be trusted easily. Ranma was sure she'd never make fun of Ranma for crying, or tell anyone about it. Ranma slowly unlocked the door, then returned to her pillow.

Kasumi padded in, relocking the door, and sat down next to Ranma on the futon. "Ranma, I'm going to tell you a story." Ranma tried to protest, but Kasumi continued without pause.

"A long time ago, our mother left us. The pain of her death affected my sisters and I in different ways. I was the oldest, and the family was really in trouble. We had lost our direction. I reacted by trying to hold the family together. Nabiki soon followed, immersing herself in the financial aspects of keeping us afloat. Akane dove into martial arts, intent on protecting us and continuing the family dojo."

"I know Akane can be a little... insensitive. I saw you run from her room, and I can feel that you're hurting. I don't pretend to know why or understand, but if you need someone to talk to, I will be here. And I promise not to judge you." Kasumi looked down at the floor.

Ranma tried valiantly, pitting all of her strength and willpower into it, but she might as well try to hold back the passage of time, or the flowing of the tides. Voiceless, gasping sobs escaped as tears tracked their way unchecked down the redhead's face. Years of pain and shame bubbled to the surface.

"Poor girl, it's okay. Let it all out." Kasumi held Ranma like a frightened child, as she had her sisters after their mother's death, until the crying stopped. It was a long time.

When the deluge ceased, it was because Ranma felt like she was about to be sick. This always happened, she'd cry for a while, start to feel sick, and stop. Worst of all, she never really felt purged afterwards, just numb and nauseous.

"Ranma-chan, do you want to talk about it?"

"I want to, Kasumi, no one's ever been this nice to me since we left home... But... I can't. It's just too hard..."

"That's all right. Anytime you do want to talk about it, or even just let your tears out, let me know. I won't tell anyone about it, alright?"

"Thanks."

Kasumi left, and Ranma lay staring at the ceiling for long moments.

'Akane... She already thinks I'm a pervert. Damn it! I never asked to be different!' A night table suffered for her anger, and inspecting the remains, Ranma decided to go for a walk. Genma, returning from the bath, stepped quickly out of her way as she passed in the hall. He was puzzled at his son's remaining in female form, but her expression made him think that now was not the right time to question.

"Kya! Kya! KyakyakyakyaKYA!"

crunch

Seven heavy posts wrapped in the remains of sturdy cord lay in splinters. Ranma's voice carried to the door of the dojo.

"I never asked for this! I just want to be normal!!" The splinters offered no rebuttal.

"She wanted to be my friend..."

Kasumi quietly returned from the dojo door to the house. In the front room, Father and Mr. Saotome played go, while Nabiki watched the news. Akane was still in her room doing homework, so Kasumi knocked softly.

"Who is it?"

"Akane, it's me."

The door opened, to display a tidy room, weights and equipment in a corner next to a desk. Akane returned to the desk and closed her textbook, then sat next to Kasumi on her bed.

"Akane, is something bothering you?"

Akane checked to make sure the door was closed, then turned to face her sister. "Kasumi, it's not fair. I mean, I'm supposed to marry that... BOY! He's a stupid, egotistical, macho jerk! He's everything I hate about boys! Plus, he's a pervert! Twice he saw me in the nude!"

Kasumi winced at Akane's heated voice, and edged away from her sister a bit. Akane noticed, and adjusted her voice to a less threatening growl.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, but I don't want this."

"That's alright, Akane, but will you do me a big favor? Ranma heard you talking to Nabiki earlier. She was on her way to talk to you as a friend, and whatever you said hurt her. Why don't you go out to the dojo and just talk to her?"

Akane listened to the first part, then missed the rest in a flash of anger. "Just WHAT was that jerk doing eavesdropping-"

SMACK

Kasumi was stunned at what she had just done, and withdrew her hand. Then her voice grew even softer than usual as she remembered a redhead crying on her shoulder. "Little sister, there's a girl, our GUEST, outside the dojo who is struggling not to hate herself, and all you want to do is hate her some more? Mother didn't teach us hate."

Akane stood beside her bed, stunned beyond anger, and saddened at the mention of their mother, and feeling guilty, an emotion she was unused to dealing with.

"Kasumi, I..." Never since their mother's death had she seen Kasumi so upset. "I'll talk to Ranma."

As Akane left, Kasumi padded, quiet and sad in her motions, to the family shrine.

"Oh mother, what have I done? I always kept my temper before... But I never felt such pain from anyone before..."

Ranma sat on the dojo steps, fighting to remain awake. Between the emotional and physical exertions of the past day, she felt like a badly used dishrag. She did, however, display some alertness, tensing as slow footsteps approached in the near-darkness.

"Go away, I'm busy."

"Busy doing what, staring at the grass?"

"Aw, whatta you care? It's not like some perverted freak matters to you, right? You better leave before someone sees you talking to me."

Akane flinched at the bitterness in Ranma's voice, but braved the storm nonetheless.

"I admit, what I said was mean, and MAYBE even uncalled-for. But why should you even care about the opinion of some uncute tomboy? It's not like you did before."

"Damn it, Akane, you wanted to be my friend! Do you know how many friends I've ever really had, that I could really talk to? I had one! ONE! That was so long ago, all I can remember of Ucchan is his face! Do you know how horrible it was to be stuck all alone with the old man, tryin' to make me into some testosterone-drippin' boy?! Who cared if that was what I wanted, I had to be the perfect son. Well, I'm not! I just wish Mom were still alive, so... so..." Ranma trailed off, staring at the grass, fighting back a few dry sobs.

For the second time in less than an hour, Akane stood stunned into silence.

"Just go away, I don't want to talk about it anymore." Ranma stood and started back toward the house.

"Ranma... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but I DON'T want to be engaged to anyone right now. I'm not even out of high school yet! Besides, I haven't been too happy with boys in general lately, what with all the fights at school..."

Ranma listened, a guarded look on her face, as Akane tried to explain her words, then her features stiffened in resolve.

"Akane, do I LOOK like a boy?"

Akane, taken aback, stopped and blinked. "No, but you are, even if you have a girl's body right n-"

Ranma interrupted, "That's just it, Akane... I'm not. I pretend most of the time, but I've never been a boy... inside... This 'curse' was almost everything I coulda wished for. You don't know what kind of hell it's been, Pop pushing me to be a 'man among men' as he phrased it. I'm more of a sexless tomboy than you ever were."

Fresh tears streaked Ranma's face, and she idly wondered about dehydration. Akane, for her part, struggled for rational thought beyond a growing dislike for being stunned past words.

"Damn, I wonder if I'm ever going to stop crying..." Ranma commented, trying to break the tension. "Listen, Akane, I need sleep. I'm sorry I just dumped all that on you. If you're disgusted with me for being such a pervert, I'll leave you alone from now on." Akane could feel, without seeing, the depression the girl was radiating. "I'll leave everyone alone." That last, in a barely recognizable whisper.

"Ranma, wait..." The red haired girl paused, staring at the ground as Akane struggled for some soothing words, "I'm sorry, I didn't know all that. Listen, it's a lot to take, can I have some time to think about it?"

A barely perceptible nod, and Ranma went back inside. Akane sat on the dojo steps for a long while.


	2. Chapter 2

Ranma stared at the ceiling, wondering why the hell it had to be her. She'd tried really hard for so many years to be the man among men her father kept pushing her to be, tried to live up to the man her body was growing into. It hurt all those years, acting macho, playing tough, though she had to admit, the Art made everything worth it, in those times when she felt at one with it. When meditation and motion brought her to that place where there was no sense of self, just flowing energy and form.

Still, part of her longed for... if not a normal life, a life where not only did other people accept her for who she was, but she could accept herself. And then one day, out of the blue, the "curse" found her, and it seemed like all her long repressed dreams and desires were suddenly given to her.

But nothing was solved. The first person to offer real friendship in years, at the first place she felt like she could settle down rather than move on after a few days, still thought her a freak and a pervert when the truth came out. To make matters worse, that Kuno jerk sent her some kind of challenge via message tied to an arrow, and set the time so late that if she didn't finish the fight quickly tomorrow evening, she might be late for supper. At least he wanted to fight her girl side.

To add insult to injury, her dad insisted she sleep as a boy, and since they had to share a room, she couldn't pretend she accidentally got changed in the night. Sleep claimed her slowly and reluctantly.

*****

Tuesday began pleasantly enough, with a flurry of punches kicks and throws above the Tendo family's koi pond. The idea was to achieve a perfect balance of speed, power and accuracy in midair, without disturbing the gentle fish or placid waters. Ranma was tempted to allow herself to lose just to have an excuse to spend time in girl form without alerting her dad, but she decided she just wasn't willing to let the old man think he beat her. So just as Kasumi announced breakfast, she landed a solid kick that sent her father into the pond. Unable to help a little boasting, she was hit entirely by surprise when the tub of water nailed her mid-laugh. Not that she minded much.

She sat next to Akane as was expected of her, but the pair never met eyes or spoke to each other during the meal, and everyone could feel the tension. Their fathers tried to play it off as just a period of adjustment, but that only intensified the mood, so they left the table to play shogi for a while.

Ranma, in boy form, walked the fence above Akane on the way to school, and about halfway there, Akane broke the silence.

"Listen, Ranma, I'm... Well, okay, I... It's not that I think you're a bad person. Just, I've never met anyone... like you. I don't know how to react. I mean, any boy at school who had your curse would use it as an excuse to do the most disgusting perverted things. Have you seen the books they bring to school and look at when they think no one's looking? And they expect girls to act like that, like the women in those disgusting things. And those fights every morning... That bunch are the worst. If one of them could actually beat me in a fight, I think I'd rather just die." Ranma shivered and almost fell off the fence.

"So that's why you were actually hurting them instead of just knocking them out." Ranma reflected.

"What, you think I'd fight like that if I didn't have to? You know I sent a guy to the hospital with a broken jaw a few weeks ago. But they won't stop, because of Kuno." Akane almost growled the name, and Ranma could tell she was psyching herself up for another fight for her life. As they neared the gate, the warning bell rang, apparently the pair was walking slower than the day before, distracted by the conversation. Ranma ran with Akane, delivering her own blows, firm but not seriously damaging. The mob fell even faster than the day before, but with fewer serious injuries.

Then Kuno reappeared, once again wielding his bokken.

"Ranma Saotome, how dare you flee from our fight, leaving that gi-ACK!" In spite of the fact that he'd been looking right at Ranma, the kick caught him by surprise.

"Shut up, you moron, we're late!"

Akane almost jumped into the fight she saw as hers, but instead watched in awe as Kuno recovered and began to strike, faster than he'd ever attacked her. Shards of concrete broke off of the wall behind Ranma, from just the air pressure of Kuno's attacks. Ranma however, slipped between the wooden weapon like a snake, doing a handspring to avoid a high strike before lashing out with her foot, kicking faster than the eye could track, and launching Kuno across the courtyard to land in a heap against the wall. Cartwheeling back to her feet, Ranma grabbed Akane's hand. She yanked her hand out of the larger masculine hand.

"Come on, Akane, we only have a few seconds!" Akane snapped out of her moment of rage at being grabbed by a boy, and hurried after Ranma to class. Ranma stopped for a few precious seconds to splash herself at a water fountain, only to step into class moments after the bell rang. Once again she stood in the hall with a water bucket. She didn't mind too much however, at least Akane wasn't late, so didn't have a reason to be mad at her.

Lunch time seemed surprisingly calm compared to what Ranma remembered school lunches were like, only a few small scuffles broke out and everything settled down for people to eat within a few minutes of the line slowing to a trickle. She found herself grateful to Kasumi for sending a bento so she could avoid the line and eat in the shade under a tree in the courtyard. Everyone seemed to be giving her a wide berth, and she started to wonder if maybe Akane was telling everyone about her. Angry at the thought, she stared menacingly at the grass in front of her, completely missing the signs of someone approaching from the side.

"So, are you gonna sit out here and sulk, or are you gonna sit with the rest of us girls?" Ranma managed not to jump at Akane's voice.

"What do you mean? Why would they want to talk to me?"

"Oh come on you big baby. I'm trying to deal with this, but you have to meet me halfway." Akane looked around to be sure no one was close enough to hear.

"If you're serious about being a girl, get up and act like it, socialize. But I swear, if I catch you staring like some pervert in the locker room before gym..." Ranma's face went pale.

"...Locker room?"

*****

After lunch, as they returned to class, Ranma tried to assimilate the things she'd heard. She couldn't for the life of her understand how Akane could listen to all of that and still think boys were the perverted ones! She'd never heard such frank and direct talk about such personal issues in her life. And whatever disease a period was, she hoped she didn't catch it, because the way Sayuri was holding her stomach, Ranma was surprised she hadn't left school to see a doctor.

School passed at an incredibly slow rate, punctuated by boring droning from teachers about things Ranma only half understood. She did her best to stay awake though, because the first time she fell asleep, she woke to a not-so-gentle poke in the ribs, and a note from Akane pointing out none of the other girls were sleeping in class.

Gym class was nothing like a real workout. Where were the boulders to move and cliffs to climb? It was just a light jog around a track and some aerobics that were less difficult than basic Tai Chi forms. Ranma was surprised to find out how little of a deal the locker room was. She found herself embarrassed, surrounded by girls changing, but no one else seemed concerned, so she just kept her eyes down an tried not to blush herself to death. The showers were tricky however, hot water was everywhere, and by the time she escaped her nerves were shot.

Later in the evening, she returned to the schoolyard according to the letter of challenge delivered the day before. The fresh-cut grass gave off a wonderful scent in the warm air, but no sign of Kuno presented itself. Just as the sun touched the horizon and Ranma's patience failed completely, Kuno's voice floated from the shimmering setting sun.

"Now is the moment when the sun is at its most beautiful."

"Hey, what's the big idea, making me wait so long?" She noviced the absence of his favored weapon, the wooden training sword. "Where's that stick yer' always wavin' around anyway?"

"I have no need of it." Something seemed a little off to Ranma, this wouldn't be much of a fight if he was taking a handicap.

"Pretty sure of yerself, huh?"

"Sure enough to give you this!" She caught the thrown object perfectly, only to be showered by red rose petals. He'd thrown a bouquet at her!

"Pigtailed girl... I love you." Kuno turned to face the setting sun and melted into its glow as she stood there, dumbfounded.

*****

The dress was perfect. White, flowing satin in a cloud around her. He took her arm, whispering "I do" and suddenly they were kissing. A shower of deep red rose petals poured over them. Suddenly they were in bed, his arms around her, his body warm and strong over her. She felt safe and comfortable in his embrace, and as he entered her fireworks explode in her head. Then there were babies. Lots of babies, and she was caring for them all while he left for work with a kiss, his wooden practice sword bumping her hip as he turned.

"I love you, Ranma."

"I love you, Kuno."

Ranma jolted awake, gasping for breath in the cool early morning air. He was in boy form and for a moment the thought was comforting, it had to have been a dream, just a nightmare. Even so, his heart was pounding and he could still feel the touch of Kuno's lips, and other things even creepier. The thought of falling in love with Kuno made him shiver in revulsion.

A soft knock at the door disturbed Ranma's spinning thoughts.

"Ranma? May I come in?" Kasumi's voice drifted through the thick paper sliding door.

"Umm, alright." Ranma wasn't sure he wanted to be seen like this, but he couldn't deny Kasumi, she was always so reasonable and open. She slid the door open and padded to his futon, kneeling by the pad.

"Are you alright? You seem a little... frightened."

"It was just a nightmare. That jerk Kuno said he loved me yesterday and it's messing up my dreams." Ranma tried to act like it was no big deal, but Kasumi placed a soft hand on his shoulder.

"You're right you know, it is just a dream. You're not ready to be in love, and neither is that boy that's always chasing after Akane. Especially him. These kind of dreams are normal, so don't let them upset you too much, okay?" She hugged him gently for a moment. He really did feel better, just from her comforting advice.

"Thanks, Kasumi. You're a great big sister. Akane and Nabiki are really lucky. All I ever had was the old man."

"Ramna, you can call me big sister if you like. You can always talk to me abut anything, okay? Now, I need to go make breakfast, and your father will be waking up soon. Why don't you go clean up." Ranma blushed and nodded, as she left for the kitchen.

The panda lying on the next futon over snored noisily.

*****

First thing in the morning Ranma and Akane met the crowd of boys seeking to defeat and date Akane as a team, plowing through them with energetic abandon. They already had a bit of a late start, and neither wanted to get stuck holding buckets in the hallway again. Ranma in particular felt a need to do some damage, though her mood didn't allow her to be grateful to the boys for providing a needed vent for her tension.

Kuno stood at the back of the group, perhaps expecting a chance to wax poetic and challenge one or both, but was stuck by the beauty of paired flying kicks from Ranma and Akane (or perhaps the expanse of leg such a move tends to show, in a school regulation skirt). The pair left him in the dust and managed to reach class just in time, sharing a grin of triumph.

After school, Ranma and Akane left the gates just in time to see a strange boy with a wild look in his eyes and a black and yellow bandana set one of their classmates down and read the school sign. The frightened boy who'd been held up by the front of his shirt pointed their direction, and the crazy-looking guy turned and walked toward them, pulling a red bamboo umbrella from his large traveling pack.

"Friend of yours, Ranma?" Akane quirked her brow. The guy looked dirty and kind of menacing, and she tensed for a fight.

"I dunno, he looks a little familiar..." Ranma chewed her lip in thought until he reached them.

"Where is Ranma Saotome?!" the boy growled, with a glance back to where the boy he'd asked a moment before disappeared. Akane offered Ranma a sour look.

"Umm, that's me, what'cha want?" The wild boy growled.

"Don't play games with me, where is he? Because of him I've seen hell, and I'm going to make him pay!"

"What'd you do to him, Ranma?" Akane still stood ready for a fight, but up close this guy looked like a monster, all muscle and callouses, he even had fangs!

"Don't look at me, I don't reme... Wait a minute... Umm, you're Ryoga something, right? Listen, umm, I don't know what I did to ya, but I haven't seen you in years. Don'tcha think it's time to let it go?"

"What are you talking about? The Ranma Saotome I'm looking for is a guy!" Ryoga looked kind of confused by this point.

"Listen, Ryoga. I know this may be hard to understand, but I'm Ranma, and I'm a girl. Now that I think of it, we fought over bread, right? I can get you plenty and we'll call it even, okay? You were pretty good, maybe we could spar sometime. I could use a real workout."

"You're a girl? But... It was a man to man fight... I chased you for years... Whatever, it doesn't matter now. Die!" Ranma was caught by surprise and almost nailed by the spinning umbrella. She shoved Akane one way and she dodged the other, but the edge of it sliced her arm slightly.

"Hey, watch it!" she leaped as a fast and VERY hard kick passed right below her. She landed on the wall just in time to watch the umbrella to zip back into Ryoga's hand like a boomerang.

"Stand still and fight like a... well, stand still!" He charged the wall and she hoped the the ground behind him as he charged right through it and kept going, into the horizon..

"Where's he off to?" Akane watched through the hole as Ryoga disappeared into the horizon.

"Oh yeah, he has a terrible sense of direction too. I forgot about that. I used to walk him to and from school."

"Hey, Ranma?" Ranma turned back to Akane just in time to catch a nasty slap.

"That's for pushing me. I can fight my own fights." Ranma held her cheek and watched, confused as Akane pulled bits of grass and dirt out of her school uniform.

"He's better than he was in junior high, too. I wonder what's got him so pissed off?" Ranma mused to herself as they headed home.

Later that evening, Ranma was practicing in the dojo. She'd convinced her father to ignore her practicing in girl form rather than complain at her, with the excuse that she needed to practice her skills to compensate for the changes in her reach and power. She was sure that the fact doing nothing was much easier than putting forth the effort to bother her had nothing to do with it.

"You really are good, you know. If you were really a boy, I think I might hate you for being better than me." Ranma stopped mid-kata to face Akane who stood in the doorway.

"Ya know, you're not so bad yourself. Did your dad train you? You got all the basics of Anything Goes down, but it seems like you don't know any of the advanced techniques. Ya can't just practice the same moves over and over and expect to be the best forever."

"Yeah, well, Dad taught me until Mom died... he never really had much focus for it after then. I kept practicing though, and working out. Excuse me for not traveling all over training on the road."

"Yeah, well, it's not just that, I'm the best there is! Still, if you want, I could show you more of the stuff your pop woulda if he kept training you. I'm no teacher or anything, but I can walk you through the easy stuff, and practice with you."

Akane stared at her for a moment, and Ranma couldn't tell if she was going to get mad or cry. Or worse, both.

"Ranma... Thank you."

"Hey, don't go all mushy okay? We have training to do."


End file.
